The hospitality and multifamily housing industries are transitioning to bathrooms that utilize showers rather than bathtubs. Showers may be preferable to bathtubs because showering is generally faster than bathing and because showers use significantly less water on average than bathtubs. In renovation projects, bathtubs are taken out and are being replaced with showers. In new shower projects, showers are being installed as preferable to bathtubs.
For project owners and developers, low cost and ease of installation are key factors in deciding on a system to use in their projects. Existing new and replacement shower installations are labor and time intensive, requiring the inconvenience of cutting and measuring materials on site, coordinating between multiple workers in different trade areas, and time for adhesives and cement to dry. The current install time for showers is around six hours and requires two to three skilled laborers across three different trade areas. Most shower systems today use a 60×32 inch shower pan to replace the bathtub and then use sheets of synthetic material, which must be cut to size on site to cover the walls. Separate shower doors are then installed.